


Pumpkin Frosting

by MischiefJoKeR



Series: The Boogeyman's Lullaby [2]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: 100 Followers Prize Fic, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BlackIce, Creepy, Fluff, Halloween, M/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-27
Updated: 2013-10-27
Packaged: 2017-12-30 15:50:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1020528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MischiefJoKeR/pseuds/MischiefJoKeR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt/Prize fic for sideswipessunshine42<br/>After the events of The Boogeyman's Lullaby, Jack Frost goes back to the barn in Ohio to make good on the promise of helping for a Halloween.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pumpkin Frosting

**Author's Note:**

> Congrats to sideswipessunshine42 for winning my 100 tumblr followers prize fic! Given The Boogeyman's Lullaby has reached 200 kudos, Frosthoody will also receive a fic of her choosing (sometime)
> 
> SSS42 gave me a lot of great prompts, and after some thought I chose this one:
> 
> Based ON Boogeyman's Lullaby: In the future once everything all settles, Jack Frost and Jack-O-Lantern have a bro’s day where they just do whatever they want. Hang out, video games, spook people, go flying. I don’t know. Maybe they are friends; maybe it’s going to end in sex.
> 
> I hope you like, and as much as I tried to leave out spoilers, I'm pretty sure this just got to be canonical to the end of Lullaby I have planned. Ohohoho. Spot the hints why don't you.

He inhaled. The wind clipped around his form, the chill through his bones making him hum in appreciation. Jack was very used to his powers now: considering he had all of last winter to grasp them. He’d taken to the cold like a fish to water and the wind was more than welcoming in teaching him their patterns. He inhaled again, crystal blue eyes closed and his brow furrowed. _Not yet_ , he reminded himself. His fingers twitched with the urge to paint windows and tulips with his frost. It wasn’t cold enough, yet, and he figured it might not be appreciated this night.

 _That reminds me,_ He thought and followed it with a smile. His feet left the light post he’d stood atop and let the wind whisk him out of the tiny town, towards the outskirts. Soon enough the grass faded to beige and rotting wooden fences came into sight. There was loud noise of bass music, trumpets, and light spilling out of the old abandoned barn.

He chuckled lightly, expecting no less from Halloween night hosted by the Jack-o-Lantern himself. His feet touched down on the dead leaves as he peered into the barn, pushing the heavy doors open a crack. The barn on the inside was as he remembered, but well-lit with what looked like firefly-filled jars. Jack Candles sat Indian style atop a hay bale, rolling up cheap dollar store streamers and tearing them with his nails. The loud music distracted him from Jack’s entrance.

“Slacking off already?” Jack Frost smiled, twirling his staff in one hand. Candles looked up sharply, his teeth showing in an equally-sharp smile.

“Frosty! Yer supposed to say trick or treat!” He stood in one motion that elementary students would idolize him for, hopping off the bale in one bound. He snapped his fingers and the fanfare stopped suddenly, no sound system noticeable.

“Sun hasn’t fallen yet. That’s when you go to work, right?”

“In a matter of speaking.” He waves a hand. “I send out some Jack-o-Lanterns to entertain the little kiddies and their parents going door to door. My favorite part of this is definitely the after darks.” His grin stretched across his face. Jack only knew it was possible for the smile to cover that much of his face because he’d seen it before—when he’d transformed.

“After darks, huh? The horror scenes, teenagers acting tough, campfire stories for shivers up spines?” Jack shifted his weight on his bare feet.

“Exactly,” Candles nodded. He paused for half of a second, looking Jack Frost over and snapped his fingers. “Ya promised you’d hang out with me for a Halloween, didn’tcha?”

“I dunno how much use I’ll be. Can’t make it snow yet.”

“Well, I bet you that some shivers up spines are easier with Jack Frost nippin’, that’ll get you some believers, too.” Candles rocked on the balls of his feet. Jack smiled again; believers enhanced his powers sure, but he didn’t really need them like the other guardians. “Just trust me; I got a big crowd comin’ this year. Then we go to another time zone and repeat. I got fans, ya see.”

“So I’m the opening act?”

“Consider it a duet.” Candles shrugged. “The scarecrows are setting up the next place. I chose a neat little grain silo in Death Valley, and an abandoned hotel in Boise.” Candles bounced once more, his mouth turning jagged like the carved pieces of a pumpkin.

“I’ll see if I can help out, I guess.”

“Just bring yer mischief and goosebumps, leave the rest of the master.” He put a hand on his chest and took a bow. “So, you can fly. Be a good ferret and hang up these shitty streamers.” Jack Frost bust into laughs as rolls upon rolls of orange and black streamers were thrown at him like party ammunition, tails flying through the air.

Jack took several and flew up into the rafters, letting different gusts of wind throw the streamers around into them and coil the colors together. Candles clapped his hands in glee, returning to some other form of decorating Jack didn’t pay attention to. Within the next fifteen minutes, both Jacks stood back at the entrance and looked over their handiwork. Streamers followed the peak of the barn, twining both festive colors together seamlessly. The jars filled with little lights glowed, emanating warmth and yet some sense of mystery. At some point more hay bales had been brought down and set around like chairs. Jack might have thought the older kids coming would think it was cheesy, but he expected Candles to have something a little more special planned.

“Okay, Jacky-kins: The guys’ll be here in…” He looked at his wrist, that didn’t have a watch on it. With a frown he turned his head instead up to the sky where a hole in the barn gave him a view. The moon was carefully easing its way up. “Oh, an hour or so. I guess I’ll let you in on the grand scheme.”

 

Cole held Ashley’s hand as they followed the others out of their cars. It was pitch black, just some headlights that took their time turning off pointing towards some shack. Ashley’s grip tightened as he pulled them to walk in step with his classmates.

“Where did you hear about this?” Cole spoke up to the young man he shared Biology with.

“My sister went last year.” Travis, a stockier and tall male smiled in turn. He dug around in his pocket, removing a slip and handing it to the shorter student. “Apparently these get found around town near Halloween. Sis wouldn’t spoil anything for me but she said she would’ve gone if she didn’t have work.” Cole took the slip and squinted his eyes, trying to see it in the low lighting. All he could make out was orange parchment, the word Halloween, and some scrawled letters that must have been coordinates from Google Maps.

“Sounds sketch.” Cole shrugged.

“I know, right? But look,” Travis angled his jaw behind them, were even more cars dropping people off exited. “We’re not the only ones.”

“At least if there’s an ax murderer we’ll outnumber him.” Cole smiled, glancing back down to Ashley. The quiet blond, hair tucked in her light fall jacket gave the barn another wary glance. “C’mon, Ash. You didn’t want to go to a haunted fort.”

“I just hate being scared.” She mumbled.

“This’ll just be campy decorations and fruit punch, okay? A night out with the guys.” He swallowed as Travis veered away to meet up with other members of their class, including the Halloween-scantily clad young women. “And, well, those.” Ashley chuckled with a roll of her eyes. She was dressed as a zombie, complete with tattered and bloodied jeans and t-shirt underneath her outside coat. Cole matched her, naturally, a torn button up and a faded pair of jeans. Levi was their make-up pro, and had already arrived to this shindig, given the text they’d received on the drive over.

“C’mon,” Ash tugged at Cole’s hand, taking cautious steps ahead of him. He nodded his fake bruised and bloody head at her and went up to the barn doors. They were ajar, some light spilling out onto the dying grass. Once inside, there really wasn’t any indication the barn was in service, rotting wooden supports decorated with ribbons and whatever cheap materials were found. Jelly jars were around, glowing. He tried leaning in to see what the source was, but Ashley pulled him in once more across the filling barn. Students he both knew and didn’t were standing or lounging around on placed bales, and he spotted Levi before Ashley stopped.

“How did I beat you two here?” Levi asked, in the middle of cleaning his thick rimmed glasses. Cole shrugged.

“I’ll just assume you didn’t actually put on as much make up as you usually do tonight.”

“Coming from the guy I just spent forty-five minutes on beautifying.” Levi feigned hurt, pushing his glasses back up to their place. “My card said this’d start at one, and it’s nearly five past.”

“Not all ghosts can be punctual.” Cole kicked at his friend’s heels. Levi got off of the hale bale and made a motion, allowing Ashley to take a seat. She thanked him quietly and let Cole drop down next to her. Levi pushed himself up onto an unsteady looking fence meant to keep horses in. It creaked even under his light weight, and the three chuckled nervously. The last of the costume-clad students filtered in, hovering near the doors and lit pillars, talking amongst themselves.

A loud siren beeping brought everyone to be quiet. Travis looked over his shoulder out the barn doors as a car park down by the gravel road’s alarm sounded. “Who drives the red Durango?”

“Shit,” Levi jumped off the fence, moving over to the door and fumbling in his fake bloodied pockets. He withdrew his keys and pushed the alarm button, lifting it over his head higher until the sounds stopped. “Mom’s car would go off by a flying le—“

The barn doors slammed shut in front of him. Levi’s shriek was completely audible among the other assorted loud gasps and squeals. Ashley put her hand over her heart. Levi backed away from the doors. Travis, stunned to silence, slowly began to chuckle.  “Wow guys, real spooky wind tonight.” The other kids around him laughed too, starting up their conversation about some Football game the night before. Levi turned back towards Cole and Ashley, face pale.

“Nice squeal, Levi.” Cole called as he was within hearing distance. Levi shook his head, leaning on the post.

“I didn’t feel a gust or anything, is all. ‘Was shocking. That, and I didn’t park next to any scarecrow.”

“A scarecrow?” Ashley gasped. A couple girls sitting near them looked over, starting to whisper to themselves. It must have passed down the chain quickly, as a few nervous faces looked back at the door. Cole frowned, observing the rest of the barn house.

“This is getting a little ridiculous. I’m wondering when they’re gonna pull out the Bud.” Ashley nodded, scrunching her round nose up. Levi ignored the comment, his eyes on the jar of light above his head.

“Uh, guys,” He said after a moment. Cole and Ashley, along with a few stranglers, looked over. “It’s getting—”

The jars pulsated before extinguishing. Ashley jolted, her grip on Cole’s hand tightening. Another group of the scantily clad ladies squealed and then promptly started their giggles. The light fluctuated a couple more times, giving enough light to make out the blurry features of each other.

Suddenly, a step. Sawdust fell from above them. The girls’ giggling ceased, as did most people’s breathing. Their eyes either followed the grains of dust falling to the floor or moved up. Another step, a long stride away from the last, and more dust fell. The sound echoed and made the wood loud and creaky.  The steps above in the hayloft stopped right at the edge, the people facing it craning their necks to see something.

“Terribly sorry for running late, ladies and gents.” A voice boomed throughout the shack. Several forms visibly flinched, the sound surrounding them eerily even in such a casual tone. “Let’s see…lots of new faces.”  Cole looked around the room. Someone above in the loft couldn’t see the whole room, after all. More dust fell from above, hands shooting up to cover mouths as a form dropped down in front of them. It looked like an ordinary kid their age, but with weird half shaved, half grown-out pumpkin orange hair. His clothing was torn and stitches shown visibly on it, much like Cole’s own costume. He turned his head back to the center of the room, glowing eyes staring at all of the room’s occupants. _Glowing,_ he swallowed and felt Ashley’s arm hook his own.

“I’m the Jack’lantern, but Jack or Candles is fine.” The boy clapped his hands together, interlacing fingers. The resounding silence was deafening, but the declared Jack waved his hands. “That usually gets a response, some screams or questions or a chill up your spines.” He smiled. Cole and Ashley, as well as everyone on that side of the barn arched forwards as cold wind climbed up their backs. The students across from them looked at them curiously. Levi spoke up first.

“So what kind of make-up is that, on your face.” He waved a hand. Candles rounded on him, tilting his head.

“My face is my face!” His hands slapped onto his own cheeks. He took steps closer, Ashley immediately shied away until she was nearly in Cole’s lap, Levi’s back pressed against the support beam. “Here, see?” Candles fluttered his lashes under the light. Cole’s jaw dropped as he saw what Levi, and they all thought was shadows around his eyes, was actually his _eyes—_ Black on the inside and still glowing irises. His eyelids were still the same pale color as the rest of his skin, smile stretching across. “Flattering first question though, Leevs.”

“How—” Levi sputtered, but the strange young man spun on his heels across the floor, once again appraising the group.

“You’ve not been here, you’ve not either…no familiar fac—Travis! Where’s your sister?” Candles bounced over to a flabbergasted jock.

“She—she’s at work.” Travis’s eyes were dinner plates. Jack groaned.

“Poor dear. Did she let you in on this event?”

“Just to go, not what happens.”

“Good girl! I’ll let saint Nick know about that.” He stepped away again, back to the center. “Well, I’ve got to be in Newark in under an hour, so let’s begin the playtime.” The Jack-o-Lantern smiled once more as the lights in the room dimmed again. “I have a game for you all, since you all seem easily spooked…it’s simple, really: you run. You do not stop. I’m _hungry.”_ His voice dropped down to a bass that shook the room. He rounded on the crowd again, his smile spread ear to ear with jagged carved teeth and hollow eyes. Vines shot out into the ground and strapped the doors shut, encasing the interior of the barn in greenery.

The girls screamed and the young men rose to their feet in alarm. Cole pulled Ashley up, keeping an arm around her and holding her hand. She was trembling. Of course they had no warning this could be worse than a haunted house. The thing wasn’t human. The lights flickered out again and a cold wind blew through the room as if it was vanquishing fires. Everything was silent in that moment, completely pitch black. Cole felt his hands grip Ashley’s coat tighter, feeling leaves shifting over his ankles after a moment. He stepped back in alarm, fearing the vines. Light filled his vision immediately and as it turned out, there were no vines anywhere.

Instead, it was a long hallway, made of burnt pieces of wood. He saw a turn at the very end of the hall, and arrows scratched into the side. The ceilings were the same as the floors and walls, a single jar tied up to the beam above their heads. Ashley took a shaky breath below him.

“Wh-…what is…?”

“It’s a maze,” Cole breathed, looking around. He heard a snapping of twigs and his heart rate sky-rocketed once more. “Let’s run.”

“I-I don’t think I—“

“C’mon,” Cole got an arm under her thighs and around her waist. She let out a gasp and he took off running. He dared not say out loud she was heavy when his limbs felt like noodles even with adrenaline running through his bloodstream. He heard distant howls and whispers as he ran. He made it around the first turn, following the left wall, before nearly falling forwards.

“No, no okay I-I can walk.” Ashley patted his shoulder. He nodded and set her back onto her feet, smiling as she stood steady.

“Sorry. Let’s just find the way out of this place.”

“Where is everyone?” She glanced around, taking in more of the same looking hallway as before.

“Probably somewhere else in the maze.” He shuddered as another cold wind nearly knocked him off his feet. “Let’s keep moving.” He said, taking her hand as they headed down the hallway together, the wind pushing them along.

 

Jack Frost floated back on the seat in the wind, watching the lovebirds fly off. He giggling slightly, sending more whispers to follow the other kids. He had to hand it to Candles for putting up a good show, and he no longer doubted that Pitch hated him for how they could both evoke fear. Candles was harmless, though, his threats empty only to get their blood racing.

“How’s it going?” He leaned back on the air current as Candles stood behind him, hands on his hips. He was half transformed; his hair smoother over his cheeks and smile still carved. His fingers were sharper than usual but still human-like, vines from his sleeves shorter than the last time he’d seen them.

“Everyone’s gotten the gist. Shouldn’t be another twenty minutes and they’ll be out. Everything’s set up?”

“Naturally.” He smiled, kicking his feet on the chipped wood. “I’ll have to get Pitch’s help another Halloween. His shadow transports and beasts were a real scream. Your winds are fuckin’ great though.”

“Thanks. I kind of like the maze. You aren’t trying to kill the guys.”

“Duh. I was worried they wouldn’t get it. They saw me transform, though, so they got the point of me being a spirit.” He smiled. “Bein’ believed in is great. Even if these guys might forget me after this. Right now it feels good. It’s just satisfyin’ to have adults know we’re real.”  Jack smiled shortly, heart aching. Candles needed believers, and even if children were his primary focus, he wanted to give something to the older ones. He’d give them a memory, however fleeting, of all the wonders and beliefs they held onto as children. He gave them youthful spirit, and that seemed like a more lasting feeling.

“Yeah. They can’t see me, but I don’t really need believers.” He admitted. Candle’s eyebrows rose.

“Oh, well uh, still, the plan’s good?”

“I don’t mind. I’m not about to meet some rural kids again.” Candles shrugged, doubt visible. Both young men looked down the hall as a scream echoed. They chuckled to themselves, Jack looking sheepish. It was his idea to have animated frost people walk through the walls as apparitions. It was wearing on his powers and concentration, but the fact it went noticed was lifting. Jack lowered himself back onto the floor, twirling his staff and looking back at Candles. The Halloween spirit tilted his head, looking over at the frost sprite. “You gonna walk around and make them run some more? I’ll tag along.” Candles observed him for a moment more before smiling, a pile of leaves falling next to him.

“Fine by me, ferret.” He winked and hopped into the leaves. Jack laughed before stepping in after him, letting the chill wind and feeling of falling take him to another part of the maze.

 

A couple more apparitions of frost and even a wall of icicles later, the Jacks had led the first group of teens to the end of the maze. They shrieked when Candles appeared and the half-pumpkin only laughed and offered a red solo cup of punch, stating that the ‘hooligans’ had their alcohol in the warehouse and they could collect it when they finished.  Jack Frost flew back in, his winds pulling a couple stragglers in, including the lovebirds and the hipster make-up kid. Once the two spirits did a head count and most of them had relaxed, Candles stood up on a counter, feet pushing aside the biggest bowl of candy Jack had ever seen.

“Hear ye, hear ye!” He waved, voice booming again. Jack shuddered, unused to how the spirit could make his voice echo so much. “I thank you all for coming to this year’s extravaganza. Enjoy it, did you?” His eyes scanned the crowd with a grin, his eyes lighting up further. Jack swallowed as he realized that must be the length of his powers of belief. “Good! I’m glad it went well. I’d like everyone to give a big hand to my cohort this year Jack Frost.” He clapped his hands together twice, the sound shaking the air.

“Jack Frost?” the whispers were inevitable. Jack frowned for half a second but plastered his smile on as he locked eyes with the Halloween spirit. The old winter spirit had been forgotten, after all. It wasn’t something modern kids were familiar with anymore.

“ _The_ Jack Frost! Nipping at your nose, whispering in your ears, his winds pulling you all back here and away from the big bad pumpkin man.” Jack Candles cooed, and waved an arm. Jack shook his head for a moment until he got a glare. Candles was never angry. He didn’t risk it and stepped over by the counter. He gasped as the clawed fingers yanked him up to the counter, though the wind picked up under his feet. “ _Chestnuts roasting, on an open fire!”_ Candles bellowed, slinging an arm around Jack’s shoulders. He laughed, his snow furling out into the cool warehouse that served as their party.

Simultaneously, the group of young adults’ eyes widened.  Jack paused, blue eyes flickering around the group until his shoulders were shaken again. “They see ya, buddy. Don’t gape like a fish.” The previously singing voice hushed into his ear, warming the skin there. He smiled and gave a wave with a hand.

“Jack Frost?”

“Holy shit.”

“This is too unreal.” Various voices chimed in.

“He’s kind of hot.” He heard one especially loud whisper. He and the ones that overheard burst into a laugh, spreading to the others. Candles patted his shoulder before letting him go, and Jack Frost flew up into the air above the students. He envied them. He never had this sort of experience in high school, and never would again. Not the way they saw it, with so much spirit and fun. He waved his staff and let small frost particles form, thankful for the cover of night sending the temperature just perfectly below freezing. They gawked as snow formed and swirled around them, letting him fly around them.

“Hope you guys had a good time.” He said after a second, realizing eyes were still all on him. He smiled, giving a wink to the girl that complimented him. Laughter ensued once more, and he backed off. Chatting continued like it was a normal high school party. Someone found the booze, heightening their unbelievable night with illegal consumption. A few couples kissed and held each other close, and some eyes were made at others. Somehow a supernatural night turned into something much more domestic, or just plain human. He smiled, heart swelling. He’d helped make everyone this happy.

“Did you have a good time, Frosty?” Candles appeared by his side. Jack nodded.

“It was different. But they loved it…I guess you know how to do your job.”

“I get scared every year.” Candles admitted, smiling as Jack turned to face him. “Scared that it’s not enough. They’re so desensitized, sometimes. What if I can’t give them that shock of fear and adrenaline? Or if they’re so shaken they don’t believe, or so shocked this doesn’t happen.” He swept an arm out to the crowd. “The kids I can handle, they’re all good fun and candy. These guys, they need a night to be kids again. It’s my job. I want to give them what they deserve, right? Even if I can’t get everyone like Nick.” He looked out to the group of kids before facing Jack again, placing a smile onto his face. Jack frowned at this. He knew that particular smile; he’d done it so many times that previous year. Forced. “We’re going to Jersey now. They like it being real late at night for their shindigs, and then we go back to Mountain Time.”

“Alright, let’s keep your schedule.” He smiled. Candles winked and another set of leaves appeared with a wave. Jack took a bow and flew through it with one last wave to his new believers. The two disappeared and left the teenagers to their business, gone but not forgotten.

 

The sun was in the air by the time Candles and Jack appeared back in his barn. The two groaned, powers used up. Buckwheat and Barley had set up all their locations perfectly, and had worked on cleaning up the mess. The kids at Candles’ main haunt seemed to have left by sunrise, their mess already been cleaned up in the barn and warehouse across the untended fields. They stepped into the properly ordered barn, the hay bales for sitting put back up into the loft and vines cleared of the entryways. Jack dropped down onto a creaking hutch with a yawn.

“Good God. I can’t imagine what North feels like after Christmas.” Jack sighed. Candles chuckled, leaning on the post next to Jack’s swinging bare feet.

“Yeah, there’s a reason why everyone leaves him alone from September to January.” He yawned too. “I just need November for all this.”

“You’re going to hibernate?” Jack rolled his eyes. He remembered the second time he visited the barn, how practically drunk and sluggish the spirit behaved when awoken. Candles shrugged.

“I gotta tie up some ends for a couple days, but yeah. The bumbles can take care of the patch in that time. Not like anything happens here.” Jack chuckled. Even never speaking a word to Buckwheat and Barley he knew the two weren’t known for practicality.

“Right. And I’m gonna be sending out my first seasonal frost.” Jack sighed, looking up to the rafters. His first year as Jack Frost, no strings attached? The concept was still foreign, especially given he had exams coming up in December. Thank god for a weekend Halloween.

“Little ferret out on his own, huh? You’ll do great.” Candles smiled, dark eyes softening. Jack shrugged himself, swinging a leg and pulling one knee up to his chest.

“I hope, I mean, after all that happened—”

“You wouldn’t be Jack Frost if you weren’t meant for greatness, ferret. Even if you got those little human attachments, cherish them. I wish I was…I wish I could do more and be with people. It’s a gift. You’ve got both worlds.” Jack glanced up, meeting the Jack-o-Lantern’s eyes. He hadn’t thought of it like that—the previous Jack Frost didn’t have a choice to be who he was, and he’d never even found out how Candles or the others had gotten their jobs. Pitch was an example: he was ignored even by spirits for his power, and his believers while not necessary, increased his strength and gave him some kind of attachment to the present. Jack had both: he’d never worry about believers because he was alive, and he had everyone that saw him every day walking to class. He was invisible, at times like this, but others, he was there. Shifting between two personas was something he could master.

“I hadn’t thought of that. You’re right.” He nodded after a moment. Candles nodded too, watching him swing his leg before leaning his weight into Jack’s side. The white haired boy raised an eyebrow. “Tuckered out already?”

“Mm,” It sounded like affirmation to Jack. “You’re cold.”

“Shocker.” He chuckled and glanced down, pausing as Candles was looking up at him, very closely.

“Thank you.” Candles whispered after a moment, before shaking his head. “For tonight, the help. I…I really enjoy the company. It’s been a while.” He commented, black pits for eyes reminiscing on whatever he had with the previous winter spirit.

“No problem…I enjoy it too.” He said honestly, a smile stretching over his face again. Jack Candles smiled, for real this time, before standing up straighter. Jack watched him dismissively before the clawed fingers gripped the side of his hoodie, turning his eyes back into candy-corn irises. Before Jack could fully question it, smooth lips pressed against his own.

Candles wasted no time, working Jack’s lips to mimic his own and shiver with the cold it brought. Jack’s eyes widened instead of closing. He wanted his first thought to be confusion, to shove him away, but instead it was—he tastes like pumpkin cookies and spice, and he’s a little warm, a little cool, a fluctuation of temperature and weather. Jack sighed a little, and frost darted out over Candles’ cheeks. The two pulled away, claws releasing his sweater and Jack clutching the hutch to keep himself on it. He held his staff over his chest and watched Candles wipe a hand down his cheek, observing as the frost melted.

“I’m sorry,” they both said together. The two Jacks looked at each other before chuckling, Candles rubbing the back of his neck. Jack bit at his lip, the taste of Autumn still fresh on them. “I should go.” Jack said, looking back at the doorway. He didn’t know if he’d make it back to his dorm without falling asleep on the winds.

“Quite.” Both Jacks looked over to the corner of the barn as a shadow stepped out of them. Jack smiled before it flickered. Oh, he looked angry. _Oh_. Candles smiled in the lopsided manner he always did when Pitch was around, like he was caught with a hand in the cookie jar. “Out haunting all night, Jack?”

“Yes,” both answered. Candles shrugged. “Jacky here helped me out giving the kiddies chills, since someone is a stick in the mud.”

“I was looking forward to spreading some nightmares.” Pitch’s eyes hadn’t left Jack’s at all, and he felt his pulse quicken. He’d never get used to that fear stoking he could do.

“Sorry to ruin your day, but I had fun.” He changed the hand he held his staff in.

“Yes, I saw that.” _Oh._ Jack’s mouth went dry too. “You best get to bed or you’ll actually fall asleep in chemistry.”

“Yes mother.” Jack joked with force, a face he put up for Candles. “Later, Jack.”

“See ya, Ferret. Swing in whenever. Just uh, not til December. We can go frosting up some windows.” He smiled and Jack felt himself flush.

“Yeah, okay. Rest well.”

“You too.” Candles waved. Jack went to wave but a hand clutched his arm before he could, pulling him back into the shadows. The transport by darkness was an adjustment he’d tolerated by now. He still wasn’t used to being shoved so the back of his knees hit his bedside.

“Have fun, did you?”

“Pitch, seriously.” Jack frowned but his excuses died in his throat as the elder spirit loomed above him.

“A very serious matter, indeed.” Pitch leaned down, his thumb wiping Jack’s lips as if something distasteful covered them. “I’ve noticed you’ve given hoarfrost a try, haven’t you?” Jack pulled back and guffawed, head tilted to the ceiling.

“Oh my god, you actually just—” He gasped as a bite was placed on his exposed neck.

“I need to give you more than nightmares for this.”

“Jesus, I’m ready for bed.” Jack breathed, dropping his lifeline staff to the floor with a clatter. Pitch grinned, his eyes glowing yellow in a more burning manner than Jack Candles’ could. 


End file.
